Presidential News Conference

President Obama on border drug violence

Of all the things said Tuesday on the Presidential News Conference, President Obama’s response to the border drug violence caught my attention. Not only because I am living in Houston and many of the violence and killings are happening in the Texas border but also because I am from a country which is also facing drug wars and Mexican drug cartels are migrating to Honduras for more power and control.

 President Obama will send millions of dollars for more effective high-tech surveillance to secure the border as well as hundreds of people to help. The administration is sending $700 million to Mexico and helicopters to help control the drug trafficking.

 Texas Gov. Rick Perry requested that 1, 000 troops should be sent to protect the border security in his state.

 The Obama administration agency will send 500 agents and send about 350 additional personnel from the Homeland Security Department for support. Also 100 more people form the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to the border.

 “We need to make sure illegal guns and cash are not flowing to these cartels,” said President Obama, “ this is what makes them more dangerous.”

 President Obama is coordinating effectively with the Mexican Government. The president is helping the Mexican Government with a tough problem and is willing to do more if the problem continues. 90 to 95 percent of all the traffickers’ high-powered weapons are purchased at gun shows, gun shops and from independent dealers in the United States and are then smuggled into Mexico.

 “President Calderon is very courageous in taking on these drug cartels,” said President Obama.

 Cartels in Mexico have launched a wave of violence against Mexican President Felipe Calderon since he began hunting down the cartels in 2006.

 “Drug cartels are completely out of hand,” said President Obama.

 The cities of Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez are the most dangerous and where most of the violence, killings, illegal guns and drug trafficking are happening. These cities are dangerous for journalists. Since 2000, 25 journalists have been killed and since 2005, seven journalists have disappeared. Many reporters refuse to write stories about the cartels and the related incidents; many newspapers have stopped any kind of news concerning the drug cartels.

 So the question is if the situation in Mexico is a national security threat to the US? The answer is yes because it is threatening to enter the US if something is not done immediately.